Hezhou Noodles In Linxia, people mainly eat noodles, and daughters about to be married receive cooking training. In the old days, there was a saying: “A seamstress on the kang (bed), a cook off the kang.” After getting married, the bride is expected to make “trial-knife noodles” for her new family to showcase her cooking skills. Hezhou Noodles are the most common type of noodles prepared at home in Linxia. The dish is simple to make and not limited by location…
Linxia hemp: Primarily produced in Bahan Township and Nanlong Township, known for its softness, whiteness, and slender fibers.…
Fried pastry is a traditional deep-fried snack meticulously crafted by Muslim women in the Linxia region. It features unique craftsmanship, exquisite shapes, clear patterns, premium ingredients, and a delightful sweet, crispy, and flaky taste. There is a wide variety of fried pastries, such as: peach blossom, chrysanthemum, plum blossom, lotus, peony, willow tree, pomegranate, gourd, Buddha’s hand, peach…
Fried pastry is a traditional deep-fried food meticulously crafted by Muslim women in the Linxia region. It features unique craftsmanship, exquisite shapes, clear patterns, premium ingredients, and a deliciously sweet, crispy, and flaky texture. There is a wide variety of fried pastries, such as: peach blossom, chrysanthemum, plum blossom, lotus, peony, willow tree, pomegranate, gourd, peach, ginger slice, …
1. Hezhou Buns are a traditional delicacy from Linxia. The main filling ingredient can vary with the seasons—for example, yellow Chinese chives in winter, regular chives in spring, garlic shoots in summer, and di da (a local vegetable) in autumn, while carrots are used year-round.
Hezhou Sugar Melon, also known as maltose candy, was historically sold mainly to Tibetan regions such as Qinghai, Gannan, Xiahe, and Maqu. The Tibetan people living across the vast grasslands have long cherished Hezhou maltose candy, making it a traditional habit. For instance, during the annual Monlam Prayer Festival in Labrang in January, Tibetan visitors from the snowy mountains and grasslands would rush to buy sugar melons, taking them back to their tents...
Niangpi is one of the most beloved local snacks among the people of Linxia. It is a unique type of noodle dish that can be served as either a main meal or a snack—refreshing, delicious, and perfect for stimulating the appetite in hot weather. The preparation method is simple: first, high-quality wheat flour is mixed with water to form a firm dough, which is then repeatedly kneaded in clean water to separate the protein from the starch. The separated...
Peonies bloom everywhere, but none rival those of Hezhou. The peonies of Hezhou boast a long history. As early as 800 years ago, they were already flourishing across the land of Linxia. The customs of planting, admiring, singing about, and “strolling among” peonies have thrived without decline. In Linxia, a city of flowers and songs, the love for peonies has permeated every aspect of people’s lives…
The making of Fa Zi and Mian Chang shares similarities with ham production. Both Fa Zi and Mian Chang are made by stuffing two different kinds of lamb offal and wheat flour into casings. The outer layer of both is made using fresh sheep intestines. For Fa Zi, fresh lamb heart, lung, and meat are chopped, mixed with scallions, oil, seasonings, and a suitable amount of flour to form a filling. This filling is then packed into sheep’s large intestine. After steaming, it is sliced and served on a plate. Mian Chang, on the other hand, mainly uses wheat flour as its primary ingredient, along with seasonings, and is stuffed into small sheep intestines. It is placed in a steamer and steamed for about 15 minutes. During steaming, it must be pricked to release steam and prevent bursting. Once cooked, it is also sliced and plated. According to the custom of Linxia, Fa Zi and Mian Chang are served as a single dish, with Mian Chang at the bottom of the plate and Fa Zi on top. It is then topped with chili oil, mashed garlic, and vinegar before serving. Fa Zi has a dark red color, while Mian Chang is pure white. Paired with bright red chili oil, the dish is vibrant in color and has a unique flavor.
Some say people from Hezhou don’t know how to eat well—just tossing good flour into a pot and stirring it into a lump, then cooking it until it’s clearly porridge-like but insisting it’s a proper meal. It’s the epitome of laziness. Well, that’s partly true and partly not. Stirring it into a “lump” is certainly part of it—otherwise why call it “jiaotuan”? But it’s definitely not porridge, nor is it...
"Bucket Meat" is a local specialty name from Hezhou in Gansu. Hezhou, anciently known as the "land of the Western Qiang," is surrounded by water to the northeast and backed by mountains to the southwest. With beautiful landscapes and lush water and grass, the local Hui people have a long-standing tradition of raising sheep. There are many ways to cook mutton, and the well-known "Bucket Meat" is one of them. Due to its premium ingredients, meticulous preparation...
Tongwei County in Gansu Province is located in the hilly and gully region of the northwestern Loess Plateau, characterized by a dry climate and poor ecological conditions. It falls under a farming system of one crop per year or three crops every two years. Buckwheat is a major crop in the county for multiple cropping. It is highly drought-resistant and tolerant of poor soils, has a short growth cycle, and offers unique nutritional value. Not only is it a crop for disaster relief and food reserve, but it also holds vast potential for the development of health foods...
Tongwei's specialty, sainfoin, known as the "Queen of Forage," is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Onobrychis in the legume family. It boasts strong cold and drought resistance, high yield, early seed maturity, and well-balanced, comprehensive nutrition. It is highly palatable to livestock and can be utilized for 4–6 years after a single planting. Its most notable feature is that it prevents bloat disease in cattle and sheep after consumption. The root nodules fix...
Sweet fermented grains are a traditional snack from Tongwei, also known as "jiupi zi." The ingredients include three types: naked oats, highland barley, and wheat. The preparation method is the same. The process involves cleaning the naked oats or highland barley (removing the outer husk), winnowing to remove impurities, washing them in clean water, boiling them in a pot until the surface cracks, draining and cooling them, then mixing in sweet fermenting starter and stirring well. The mixture is then placed in a jar…
The staple noodles from my hometown fall into two main categories: "sweet meals" and "sour meals." When people greet each other, they often ask, “What kind of meal did you have?” The usual answers are either: “I had a sweet meal!” or “I had a sour meal!” Sweet meals are so called in contrast to sour meals—they are made without pickled vegetables. Speaking of pickled vegetables, locals are probably all familiar with them, but outsiders might easily think of the pickled vegetables from the Northeast.
The Tongwei specialty, buckwheat rings, are made by scalding buckwheat flour with boiling water, mixing in baking soda to form a batter, swirling it into a specially designed wooden spoon, and then deep-frying it in boiling oil. They are shaped like bracelets, colored like crab meat, and have a naturally sweet and fragrant taste—soft, fluffy, and highly distinctive. People in Tongwei love eating buckwheat rings. These rings are made by scalding buckwheat flour with boiling water, mixing in a small amount of baking soda...
Tongwei specialty peas have been cultivated in China for over two thousand years and are now grown across the country, with major production areas including Sichuan, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Qinghai, and more than ten other provinces and regions. Tongwei County has a long history of pea cultivation, and its growing environment meets green food standards. The planting techniques have been reviewed and issued as local standards by the Gansu Provincial Bureau of Technical Supervision...
Jinping Township, Tongwei County: Abundant high-quality granite reserves. Well-developed stone mill processing industry.…
Primarily produced in Min County, Zhang County, Weiyuan, and other areas of our region. It is one of our main export commodities. Functions: Tonifies qi and consolidates the exterior, promotes urination and drains abscesses. Indications: Spontaneous sweating due to superficial deficiency, diarrhea caused by spleen deficiency, prolapsed anus, sinking of middle qi, diabetes, and non-healing sores or carbuncles. (Dingxi)…
Also known as potatoes or spuds, they are one of our region’s greatest treasures. Around one billion jin can be produced annually for further processing. Potatoes are highly versatile and nutritious. They serve both as a vegetable and a staple food, and also offer benefits such as soothing the stomach, regulating the middle energizer, strengthening the spleen, and benefiting qi. The comprehensive processing and utilization of potatoes hold broad prospects — they can be made into starch, noodles, vermicelli, potato protein, glucose, citric acid, maltose, dextrin, cyclodextrin, kvass, and more. Tongwei County in our region already uses potatoes as the main raw material to produce starch, vermicelli, monosodium glutamate, and lysine. Currently, there are plans to develop cyclodextrin and polysaccharides. Our region is willing to engage in extensive cooperation with other provinces and cities. (Dingxi)